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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. current — happening now
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lean — thin
  9. current — of water
  10. capital — a city
  11. game — a match
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — to rob
  16. scale — in music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — electric
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com